Dear Brothers,
It has been 3-1/2 months since our State Deputy asked me to take on the
position of Church Director. Since then I have been remiss to send out any
communication of encouragement. This communication is hopefully encouraging
to my brother Grand Knights, Faithful Navigators, and all my brothers in the
Order.
I would like to encourage as many as possible to join the Rosary Sunday
celebrations in Tucson and Phoenix this coming weekend. It is a wonderful
time to show our love of Mary and to take a moment to be in the presence of
God, present to us in the image of Mary and her Son. It is a time to reflect
on our own spirituality and relationship with God. There is plenty of room
for you to join in the celebration of Mary this weekend. I hope to see you
there.
Another Marian event I would like to encourage participation in is the
viewing of the Marian image of Mary in her title of The Immaculate
Conception. The state of Arizona is blessed with two images, one in the
South and one in the North of the state, that have been given to the Knights
of Columbus by the Archbishop of Quebec, Canada. A Marian hour program has
been established to be held in any parish or council hall that would like to
participate. So far we have had four Marian hours. The hour is easy to
accomplish as there is a booklet that takes you through the rosary and other
prayers. The hour really is only an hour. Please consider reserving the
image for your holy hour. For those in the Northern part of the state,
Phoenix and the nearby communities, contact me at bbennett@koc3121.com For
those of you in the Southern areas, contact PSD Bryant Sayers at
We have a number of Holy days of obligation coming up that I would like to
remind you of. First, November 1st is the feast of All Saints. This is a
time for us to remember those that have been named by the church, as well as
the communion of saints that have gone on before us.
Another Holy day is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This is held on
December 8th and is a great time to reflect on the role Mary played in
salvation history. The month of December would be a great time for your
council or assembly to have a Marian Hour with the image.
Of course, the last Holy day of the calendar year is Christmas. It is a time
where we remember the birth of our Lord and are encouraged that He came to
absolve us of our sins. Make a special effort to go to confession during the
month of December. Prepare yourself for the coming of our savior again.
The prayers of our Holy Father focus on peace. His universal prayer
intention is, “that the Lord may grant peace to those parts of the world
most battered by war and violence.” Let us pray with the Holy Father for
peace in the world. I close with his prayer: Lord God of peace, hear our
prayer. We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our
conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. But our efforts
have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid. Grant us peace, teach us
peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Instill in our hearts the
courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace.
May almighty God bless you all, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Deacon Bruce Bennett, EdD
AZ State Church Director
Grand Knight Council 3121
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Deacon Bruce Bennett, EdD
AZ Church Director, Knights of Columbus
Grand Knight, Knights of Columbus Council 3121
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